Polly Barber

She was born on September 25, 1803 in Saint-Armand, Lower Canada. She was a daughter of Asahel Barber, a son of an American physician, and Polly Armes, whose family had Baptist clergymen.

In 1820 Polly started her teaching career in Saint-Armand, giving lessons in private homes. With her family she moved to Sutton Township, where she got a place of a schoolmaster in 1834.

Around 1834 Polly married Stephen Scovill Jr, a farmer from Sutton Township, who possessed 250 acres of land. They were able to produce large quantities of wool and cloth. They had a successful farm when her husband died on November 7, 1847, leaving her a widow and pregnant at the age of 44. She was able to carry on developing the farm, raising children, and starting a successful clothing factory. In 1861 her farm cost $5,000. She managed to educate her daughters and her son, Smith, was established on a land in the township. Later because of health problems she left the farm near Abercorn to her eldest daughter, Judith Smith.[1]

She spent her last years with her daughter Julia and son-in-law at Scottsmore in Dunham Township. On January 8, 1880, she made her will, where she decided to leave all her property equally divided between her children. On February 23d,1898 she died at the age of 94.

The widow Scovill was important in history because she was able to rise above the prejudices which would have been prevalent toward a woman in business at that time. She set an example that was beneficial to future women in business.

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online